Our cabin, which my parents bought in 1961, sits on the shore of Lake Minerva near Danbury, Wis. It came to be because my mother thought we could spend a Sunday afternoon ride looking at cabins near a resort we had stayed at the previous year. (My mother often has great ideas!) They bought the cabin by the end of the day.

Suddenly, it felt like we had a cabin in paradise. They paid $5,100 for 150 feet of lakeshore and the dwelling, built in 1936, with furnishings included. There was no shower or bathtub, but we had the crystal-clear water of the lake. My brother, sister and our parents spent most summers swimming, feeding sunfish, going for walks, having friends and cousins visit, and playing Monopoly on rainy days.

The cabin is beloved by several generations of the family. There is a yearly July celebration, and grandchildren and great grandchildren come now with their families.

Soon the cabin's legacy will be passed on to our generation. And I think, Can we keep it up like my parents have done? Who will be responsible for repairs, taxes, boat licenses? Who will put in and take out the dock? And what about the decisions about sharing the cabin with my siblings and their families?

Hopefully we will be up to the task of caring for and cherishing the place.

My parents have called the cabin "Golden Pond," "Innisfree" and "The Cabin." Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom. Maybe goddess of wisdom would be an appropriate name owing to my mother's idea and how the cabin came to fruition.

Lisa Ledin, Minneapolis